Cheong Wa Dae on the 18th said it had "heard nothing" about the claim that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon told President Lee Jae-myung at a Cabinet meeting that he opposed "apartment construction in Yongsan Park."
Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said at a briefing at the Chunchugwan that there appeared to be "parts that differ from the facts" regarding Oh's remarks, and added, "As for Yongsan Park, I have heard nothing." However, on which parts were different from the facts and what was actually said, Kang only noted, "It is difficult to confirm the contents of a closed-door meeting."
Earlier, after attending the Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee that morning, Oh posted on Facebook under the title "I will say what needs to be said to protect Seoul's future," writing, "I asked that we first lift the blocked regulations so we can further speed up redevelopment and reconstruction, and I clearly conveyed to the president my opposition to building apartments in Yongsan Park." He also said he directly conveyed to Lee at the Cabinet meeting his opposition to the issue of developing Yongsan Park.
The Cabinet meeting switched to a full closed session immediately after the live broadcast of Lee's opening remarks, and Oh claims he conveyed this stance to Lee behind closed doors. Cheong Wa Dae, meanwhile, said "that is not accurate," but added it could not discuss the specifics of the closed-door meeting.
According to Chief Spokesperson Kang, at the meeting Lee told Oh, who had called for a shift in the government's real estate policy stance, "We are calling for increasing supply, but we must not heighten the possibility of house prices soaring." Lee also asked whether the permitting authority for large-scale redevelopment and reconstruction and other maintenance projects, as well as for small-scale individual construction, lies with district offices or the city, and asked whether there were deregulation measures to increase private-sector supply.
When Oh mentioned "easing floor area ratio regulations," "easing restrictions on transferring association member status," and "easing the ratio of rental housing," Lee said, "We are calling for increasing supply, but we must not heighten the possibility of house prices soaring." Kang said Lee added, however, "There may be a middle ground that maximizes the positives and minimizes the negatives," and instructed Prime Minister Han Seong-sook to review various views and draw up measures to expand the supply of dwellings.